Evidence of Ancient Tsunamis is Found

November 3, 2008

A Thai-led international team of geologists said it has found evidence of tsunamis occurring in the Indian Ocean long before the devastating tsunami of 2004.

Kruawun Jankaew of Chulalongkorn University led the team that said it found evidence of tsunamis repeatedly washing over the Thai barrier island of Phra Thong during the last 2,800 years, the most recent about 550 to 700 years ago.

A second team found similar evidence of previous tsunamis that occurred during the last 1,200 years in Aceh, a province at the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The research that included Professor Brian Atwater and Maria Martin of the University of Washington, Amy Prendergast of Geoscience Australia, Yuki Sawai of the Geological Survey of Japan and Montri Choowong and Thasinee Charoentitirat of Chulalongkorn University is reported in the Oct. 30 edition of the journal Nature.